Folding contactless card payment authentication

ABSTRACT

A folding mechanism is used to authenticate purchases when making transactions using a contactless smart card. By folding the contactless card in a precise manner, the electrical resistance of the antenna circuit of the contactless card is changed by bypassing the card&#39;s built-in resistors. A user may set a folding orientation as the “password” of the contactless card. This folding orientation determines the electrical resistance of the card necessary to authenticate a purchase.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the field of smart cards, andmore particularly to utilizing a folding mechanism for authenticationpurposes on smart cards.

Contactless payment systems are gaining widespread acceptance byretailers and are becoming increasingly popular among consumers. Incontactless payment systems, consumers use a payment card that isequipped with an integrated chip and antenna that securely communicatesconsumer account information via a radio frequency communication link toa retailer's payment terminal. The payment terminal then connects to anappropriate financial network or other back-end processing system via,for example, a communication network, to authorize the transaction. Onceauthorized, the consumer completes the transaction. This scheme ofcontactless payment accomplishes a transaction at a convenience for auser in comparison with traditional credit cards or debit cardtransactions, which require a card to be swiped through a reader.

Contactless payment devices typically include a chip and antenna. Thechip includes, for example, consumer account information. When the chipis brought into close enough proximity to a suitable reader, the antennawill be activated and will transmit the consumer account informationresiding on the chip to the reader. To avoid errors and ensure that thereader is communicating with the correct device, the proximity of thecontactless payment device to the reader required to activate theantenna is typically on the order of a very few inches at most.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a computer system forauthenticating purchases of a contactless smart card. The computersystem comprises of program instructions for determining a baselineelectrical resistance of an antenna circuit of the contactless smartcard when the contactless smartcard is planar, the contactless smartcard including a plurality of resistors and a plurality of pre-definedfold locations; determining an authenticating electrical resistance ofthe antenna circuit for a folded contactless smart card, the foldedcontactless smart card being the contactless smart card temporarilyfolded along at least one pre-defined fold location by a user, theplurality of pre-defined fold locations enabling a manner for which atleast one resistor on the contactless smart card is not implemented intothe antenna circuit; recording the authenticating electrical resistanceof an antenna circuit on the contactless smart card; determiningcommunication between the contactless smart card and a receiver utilizedto make transactions using the contactless smart card; responsive todetermining the communication, determining an electrical resistance ofthe antenna circuit; comparing the electrical resistance with thebaseline resistance and the authenticating electrical resistance; andresponsive to the electrical resistance matching the authenticatingelectrical resistance, authorizing a transaction with the receiver. Thecontactless smart card contains an ohmmeter on the antenna circuit. Theelectrical resistance of the antenna circuit is measured by theohmmeter. The authenticating electrical resistance is adjustableaccording to a location of a fold on the folded contactless smart cardand a count of totals folds on the folded contactless smart card.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram view of a first embodiment of a systemaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a first embodiment method performed, atleast in part, by the first embodiment system;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram view of a machine logic (e.g., software)portion of the first embodiment system;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an example embodiment of a portion of thefirst embodiment system according to the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a second example embodiment of a portionof the first embodiment system according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A folding mechanism is used to authenticate purchases when makingtransactions using a contactless smart card. By folding the contactlesscard in a precise manner, the electrical resistance of the antennacircuit of the contactless card is changed by bypassing the card'sbuilt-in resistors. A user may set a folding orientation as the“password” of the contactless card. This folding orientation determinesthe electrical resistance of the card necessary to authenticate apurchase. This Detailed Description section is divided into thefollowing sub-sections: (i) Hardware and Software Environment; (ii)Example Embodiment; (iii) Further Comments and/or Embodiments; and (iv)Definitions.

I. Hardware and Software Environment

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product at any possible technical detail level of integration.The computer program product may include a computer readable storagemedium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereonfor causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, oreither source code or object code written in any combination of one ormore programming languages, including an object oriented programminglanguage such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The computer readable program instructions may executeentirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as astand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partlyon a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Inthe latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user'scomputer through any type of network, including a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to anexternal computer (for example, through the Internet using an InternetService Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including,for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gatearrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute thecomputer readable program instructions by utilizing state information ofthe computer readable program instructions to personalize the electroniccircuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of theorder noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

An embodiment of a possible hardware and software environment forsoftware and/or methods according to the present invention will now bedescribed in detail with reference to the Figures. FIG. 1 is afunctional block diagram illustrating various portions of networkedcomputers system 100, including: contactless card sub-system 102;contactless card 104, point of sale terminal 106, automated tellermachine (ATM) 108, setup module 107, password database 109, point ofsale terminal 110, contactless card 112; and communication network 114.Contactless card sub-system 102 contains: contactless card computer 200;display device 212; and external devices 214. Contactless card computer200 contains: communication unit 202; processor set 204; input/output(I/O) interface set 206; memory device 208; and persistent storagedevice 210. Memory device 208 contains: random access memory (RAM)devices 216; and cache memory device 218. Persistent storage device 210contains: authentication program 300 and password database 220.Contactless card computer 200 may be a chip embedded in a contactlesscard such as contactless card 400 of FIG. 4.

Contactless card sub-system 102 is, in many respects, representative ofthe various computer sub-systems in the present invention. Accordingly,several portions of contactless card sub-system 102 will now bediscussed in the following paragraphs.

Contactless card sub-system 102 may be a laptop computer, a tabletcomputer, a netbook computer, a personal computer (PC), a desktopcomputer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or anyprogrammable electronic device capable of communicating with clientsub-systems via communication network 114. In the embodiments describedbelow, contactless card sub-system 102 is a contactless card such ascontactless card 400 shown in FIG. 4. Authentication program 300 is acollection of machine readable instructions and/or data that is used tocreate, manage, and control certain software functions that will bediscussed in detail, below, in the Example Embodiment sub-section ofthis Detailed Description section.

Contactless card sub-system 102 is capable of communicating with othercomputer sub-systems via communication network 114. Communicationnetwork 114 can be, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide areanetwork (WAN) such as the Internet, or a combination of the two, and caninclude wired, wireless, or fiber optic connections. In general,communication network 114 can be any combination of connections andprotocols that will support communications between contactless cardsub-system 102 and client sub-systems.

Contactless card sub-system 102 is shown as a block diagram with manydouble arrows. These double arrows (no separate reference numerals)represent a communications fabric, which provides communications betweenvarious components of contactless card sub-system 102. Thiscommunications fabric can be implemented with any architecture designedfor passing data and/or control information between processors (such asmicroprocessors, communications processors, and/or network processors,etc.), system memory, peripheral devices, and any other hardwarecomponents within a system. For example, the communications fabric canbe implemented, at least in part, with one or more buses.

Memory device 208 and persistent storage device 210 are computerreadable storage media. In general, memory device 208 can include anysuitable volatile or non-volatile computer readable storage media. It isfurther noted that, now and/or in the near future: (i) external devices214 may be able to supply some, or all, memory for contactless cardsub-system 102; and/or (ii) devices external to contactless cardsub-system 102 may be able to provide memory for contactless cardsub-system 102.

Authentication program 300 is stored in persistent storage device 210for access and/or execution by one or more processors of processor set204, usually through memory device 208. Persistent storage device 210:(i) is at least more persistent than a signal in transit; (ii) storesthe program (including its soft logic and/or data) on a tangible medium(such as magnetic or optical domains); and (iii) is substantially lesspersistent than permanent storage. Alternatively, data storage may bemore persistent and/or permanent than the type of storage provided bypersistent storage device 210.

Authentication program 300 may include both substantive data (that is,the type of data stored in a database) and/or machine readable andperformable instructions. In this particular embodiment (i.e., FIG. 1),persistent storage device 210 includes a magnetic hard disk drive. Toname some possible variations, persistent storage device 210 may includea solid-state hard drive, a semiconductor storage device, a read-onlymemory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a flashmemory, or any other computer readable storage media that is capable ofstoring program instructions or digital information.

The media used by persistent storage device 210 may also be removable.For example, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storagedevice 210. Other examples include optical and magnetic disks, thumbdrives, and smart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer ontoanother computer readable storage medium that is also part of persistentstorage device 210.

Communication unit 202, in these examples, provides for communicationswith other data processing systems or devices external to contactlesscard sub-system 102. In these examples, communication unit 202 includesone or more network interface cards. Communication unit 202 may providecommunications through the use of either or both physical and wirelesscommunications links. Any software modules discussed herein may bedownloaded to a persistent storage device (such as persistent storagedevice 210) through a communications unit (such as communication unit202).

I/O interface set 206 allows for input and output of data with otherdevices that may be connected locally in data communication withcontactless card computer 200. For example, I/O interface set 206provides a connection to external devices 214. External devices 214 willtypically include devices, such as a keyboard, a keypad, a touch screen,and/or some other suitable input device. External devices 214 can alsoinclude portable computer readable storage media, such as, for example,thumb drives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards.Software and data used to practice embodiments of the present invention(e.g., authentication program 300) can be stored on such portablecomputer readable storage media. In these embodiments, the relevantsoftware may (or may not) be loaded, in whole or in part, ontopersistent storage device 210 via I/O interface set 206. I/O interfaceset 206 also connects in data communication with display device 212.

Display device 212 provides a mechanism to display data to a user andmay be, for example, a computer monitor or a smart phone display screen.

The programs described herein are identified based upon the applicationfor which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of theinvention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular programnomenclature herein is used merely for convenience, and thus, theinvention should not be limited to use solely in any specificapplication identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

II. Example Embodiment

FIG. 2 shows flowchart 250 depicting a method according to the presentinvention. FIG. 3 shows authentication program 300, which performs atleast some of the method operations of flowchart 250. This method andassociated software will now be discussed, over the course of thefollowing paragraphs, with extensive reference to FIG. 2 (for the methodoperation blocks) and FIG. 3 (for the software blocks).

Processing begins at operation S252, where resistance module (“mod”) 352measures the baseline electrical resistance of an unfolded contactlesscard. The electrical resistance is measured from an ohmmeter on theantenna coil inside a contactless card and measures the difficulty topass an electric current through the antenna wire. The contactless cardcontains an antenna that is connected to a microchip. The antenna isused to communicate between a point of sale terminal and the contactlesscard. The contactless card may be folded along designated folding lineson the contactless card. In this embodiment, the contactless cardcontains two folds. The contactless card is designed in a manner thatallows it to always allow near field communication (NFC) with NFCdevices such as a point of sale terminal. The circuit between theantenna and the microchip remains unbroken folded or unfolded allowingthe antenna to communicate at all times. The ohmmeter measures theresistance of the contactless card when the contactless card isunfolded. When unfolded, the circuit contains multiple resistors and theresulting resistance of the contactless card would reflect all theresistors implemented in the circuit. In this embodiment, thecontactless card contains three resistors in total, with resistances of10, 20 and 30 ohms. The ohmmeter would measure a resistance ofapproximately 60 ohms of the unfolded contactless card.

Processing proceeds to operation S254, where resistance mod 352 measuresthe electrical resistance of the folded contactless card. Thecontactless card may contain multiple folding edges. A user may fold thecontactless card in a unique manner for security reasons. The foldingmanner of the card may act as a security measure similar to a personalidentification number (PIN) of a debit card. The electrical resistanceis measured from an ohmmeter on the antenna coil inside a contactlesscard and measures the difficulty to pass an electric current through theantenna wire. The circuit between the antenna and the microchip remainsunbroken when folded, however when folded, resistors may be bypassed.The ohmmeter measures the resulting resistance of the folded contactlesscard. The folded contactless card's resistance would differ from theunfolded contactless card's resistance due to bypassed resistors on thecontactless card's antenna wire. In this embodiment, the user folds thecontactless card at one of the fold locations which allows for the10-ohm resistor to be bypassed. The ohmmeter would measure a resistanceof approximately 50 ohms of the folded contactless card, as the circuitwould still contain the 20 and 30 ohm resistors.

Processing proceeds to operation S256, where recording mod 356 recordsan authenticating electrical resistance of the contactless card. In thisembodiment, the user folds the contactless card to a desired foldingorientation and the electrical resistance of the contactless card isrecorded as an authenticating electrical resistance. The authenticatingelectrical resistance is stored on password database 220, as shown onFIG. 1. The authenticating electrical resistance is used to authenticatetransactions using the contactless card. The contactless card needs tobe folded in the precise way to result in the authenticating electricalresistance. Transactions are not authenticated unless the contactlesscard is folded in this precise folding orientation. To setup anauthenticating electrical resistance for the contactless card, the usermay visit an ATM. As shown in FIG. 1, setup mod 107 and passworddatabase 109 are included on ATM 108. Password database 109 stores theauthenticating electrical resistance of the user's contactless card.Setup mod 107 is used to setup a new authenticating electricalresistance or modify a previously stored authenticating electricalresistance. The user's contactless card communicates with ATM 108 usingcommunication mod 358. Communication between the contactless card andATM 108 are conducted utilizing NFC. Setting up an authenticatingelectrical resistance at ATM 108 is done in a similar manner as settingup a PIN of a debit card. The user may modify the authenticatingelectrical resistance at the user's discretion.

Processing proceeds to operation S258, where communication mod 358determines communication with a point of sale (POS) terminal. In thisembodiment, the user visits a POS terminal such as a payment terminal ata retail location. As shown in FIG. 1, POS terminals such as point ofsale terminal 106 and point of sale terminal 110 may communicate withthe user's contactless card. Communication between the contactless cardand point of sale terminals 106 and 110 are conducted utilizing NFC.Communication is determined when the contactless card is in proximityand signals from the contactless card's antenna are able to reach thePOS terminal. In this embodiment, the user gestures the contactless cardin proximity to the POS terminal to determine communication.

Processing proceeds to operation S260, where resistance mod 352 measuresthe electrical resistance of the folded contactless card when the userfolds the contactless card for authentication purposes. In thisembodiment, the user attempts to use the contactless card at a POSterminal and folds the contactless card in a manner to achieve theauthenticating electrical resistance. The ohmmeter in the contactlesscard measures the electrical resistance of the contactless card.

Processing proceeds to operation S262, where authentication mod 362determines whether the authenticating electrical resistance of thecontactless card is measured. In this embodiment, the user folds thecontactless card in an attempt to achieve the authenticating electricalresistance when at a POS terminal. Authentication mod 362 determineswhether the resulting electrical resistance of the folded contactlesscard is equivalent to the authenticating electrical resistance set up bythe user of the contactless card in operation S256. In order for anauthenticated transaction to take place with the contactless card and aPOS terminal, the electrical resistance of the folded contactless cardmust be equivalent to the authenticating electrical resistance.

If the electrical resistance of the folded contactless card isequivalent to the authenticating electrical resistance of thecontactless card, processing proceeds down the “YES” branch to operationS264, where transmission mod 364 transmits a signal to authorize atransaction. In this embodiment, the user correctly folds thecontactless card resulting in the contactless card's electricalresistance to be equivalent to the authenticating electrical resistance.The contactless card securely communicates the user's consumer accountinformation with the POS terminal and authorizes the transaction for theuser.

If the electrical resistance of the folded contactless card is notequivalent to the authenticating electrical resistance of thecontactless card, processing proceeds down the “NO” branch to operationS266, where transmission mod 364 transmits a signal to decline thetransaction. In this embodiment, the user incorrectly folds thecontactless card resulting in the contactless card's electricalresistance to be unequal to the authenticating electrical resistance ofthe contactless card. The contactless card may be configured to beblocked after a number unsuccessful attempts at using the contactlesscard at a POS terminal to prevent unauthorized use. For example, if theuser incorrectly folds the contactless card three times when trying toutilize the contactless card at a POS terminal, the contactless cardgets blocked. The user must unblock the contactless card in order to usethe contactless card. When the contactless card is blocked, the antennais turned off.

III. Further Comments and/or Embodiments

Some embodiments of the present invention recognize the following facts,potential problems, and/or potential areas for improvement with respectto the current state of the art. Many people do not use near fieldcommunication enabled contactless payment cards for several reasons. Onereason is there is not a lot of trust in that they are secure. Two mainsecurity concerns as reasons for why people do not trust contactlesscards. First, if someone steals a contactless card, that person may beable to make purchases at a convenience. For small purchases, noauthentication is required for many contactless cards, often with no PINor signature requirement. Someone who steals a contactless card may usethat contactless card easily until the card gets cancelled by the owner.Second, people could potentially steal money from contactless cardsusing unauthorized contactless payments. Since often small purchases donot have to be authorized, there has been instances of people stealingfrom contactless cards by placing POS terminal-like devices nearunsuspecting people's pockets. Contactless cards' antennas are alwaystransmitting, so people can theoretically take money from the cards atany time.

One example embodiment illustrating the folding mechanics of acontactless card has the corners of the card being folded at hingedlocations. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of contactless card 400 accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment,contactless card 400 includes chip 402, ohmmeter 404, and antenna 406.An example of contactless card 400 is contactless card sub-system 102.An example of chip 402 is contactless card computer 200. Chip 402,ohmmeter 404, and antenna 406 are attached to antenna circuit 440comprised of conductive wire segments 418 a-h. Conductive wire segment418 a is operatively connected to conductive wire segment 418 b.Conductive wire segment 418 bis operatively connected to resistor 408.Resistor 408 is operatively connected to conductive wire segment 418 c.Conductive wire segment 418 c is operatively connected to conductivewire segment 418 d. Conductive wire segment 418 d is operativelyconnected to conductive wire segment 418 e. Conductive wire segment 418e is operatively connected to resistor 410. Resistor 410 is operativelyconnected to conductive wire segment 418 f. Conductive wire segment 418f is operatively connected to resistor 412. Resistor 412 is operativelyconnected to conductive wire segment 418 g. Conductive wire segment 418g is operatively connected to conductive wire segment 418 h. Conductivewire segment 418 h is operatively connected to conductive wire segment418 a. One end of conductive wire segment 420 a is operatively connectedto the connection point of conductive wire segments 418 a and 418 b.Conductive wire segment 420 a contains open connection end 430 a. Oneend of conductive wire segment 420 b is operatively connected to theconnection point of conductive wire segments 418 c and 418 d. Conductivewire segment 420 b contains open connection end 430 b. One end ofconductive wire segment 422 a is operatively connected to the connectionpoint of conductive wire segments 418 d and 418 e. Conductive wiresegment 422 a contains open connection end 432 a. One end of conductivewire segment 422 b is operatively connected to the connection point ofconductive wire segments 418 g and 418 h. Conductive wire segment 422 bcontains open connection end 432 b. In this embodiment, contactless card400 contains two folding edges, folds 414 and 416. Fold 414 containsconductive wire segment 426. Conductive wire segment 426 contains openconnection ends 436 a and 436 b. Conductive wire segment 426 is placedon fold 414 in a manner where if contactless card 400 is folded at fold414, open connection ends 436 a and 436 b of conductive wire segment 426would be operatively connected to open connection ends 430 a and 430 bof conductive wire segments 420 a and 420 b. Fold 416 containsconductive wire segment 428. Conductive wire segment 428 contains openconnection ends 438 a and 438 b. Conductive wire segment 428 is placedon fold 416 in a manner where if contactless card 400 is folded at fold416, open connection ends 438 a and 438 bof conductive wire segment 428would be operatively connected to open connection ends 432 a and 432 bof conductive wire segments 422 a and 422 b.

In this embodiment, resistors 408, 410, and 412 have differentresistance values. For example, resistor 408 has a resistance of 10ohms, resistor 410 has a resistance of 15 ohms, and resistor 412 has aresistance of 20 ohms. When contactless card 400 is left unfolded, thebaseline resistance of contactless card 400 would be the sum of theresistors in contactless card 400. In this example, if left unfolded,contactless card 400 would have a baseline resistance of 45 ohms. When auser folds contactless card 400 at fold 414, resistor 408 gets bypassed.When a user folds contactless card 400 at fold 416, resistors 410 and412 get bypassed. Therefore, when a user folds contactless card 400 atfold 414 but does not fold contactless card 400 at fold 416, theresistance of contactless card 400 would be the resistance value of thesum of resistors 410 and 412, or 35 ohms. When a user folds contactlesscard 400 at fold 416 but does not fold contactless card 400 at fold 414,the resistance of contactless card 400 would be the resistance value ofresistor 408, or 10 ohms.

One example embodiment illustrating the folding mechanics of acontactless card has the midsections of the card being folded at hingedlocations. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of contactless card 500 accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment,contactless card 500 includes antenna circuit 528, which includes chip502, ohmmeter 504, antenna 506 and resistors 518, 520, 522, 524, and526. An example of contactless card 500 is contactless card sub-system102. An example of chip 502 is contactless card computer 200. Eachresistor is located at a hinged location, or a folding edge, oncontactless card 500. Contactless card 500 includes multiple hingedlocations, or hinges 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516.

In this embodiment, resistors 518, 520, 522, 524, and 526 have differentresistance values. For example, resistor 518 has a resistance of 3 ohms,resistor 520 has a resistance of 5 ohms, resistor 522 has a resistanceof 7 ohms, resistor 524 has a resistance of 11 ohms and resistor 526 hasa resistance of 13 ohms. When contactless card 500 is left unfolded, thebaseline resistance of antenna circuit 528 would be the sum of theresistors. In this example, if left unfolded, contactless card 500 wouldhave a baseline resistance of 39 ohms. When a user folds contactlesscard 500 at hinge 508, resistor 518 gets bypassed in favor of analternative conductive path. In some embodiments, the alternativeconductive path exists on another layer of the contactless card and maybe present on the opposite side of the card. A user may fold thecontactless card at one or more hinges to change the resistance ofantenna circuit 528. Therefore, for example, when a user foldscontactless card 500 at hinges 508 and 514 but does not fold contactlesscard 400 at hinges 510, 512 and 516, the resistance of antenna circuit528 would be the resistance value of the sum of resistors 520, 522 and526, or 25 ohms.

Some embodiments of the present invention may include one, or more, ofthe following features, characteristics, and/or advantages. Foldingcontactless card payment authentication provides a method for users todecide when to enable the antenna on contactless card, and thereforeonly enable the antenna when users are about to make a payment. It alsoadds an extra layer of complexity that unauthorized users must overcometo use the contactless card. This is achieved by having a contactlesscard with an antenna circuit, which can be completed when the user foldsthe card into a specific position. The advantages of this is thecontactless card would not work when an unauthorized user swipes acontactless reader next to you. One proposed solution is using a RFIDshielding wallet that acts as a faraday cage. A RFID shielding walletshields a contactless card from electromagnetic signals such as unwantedpayment contacts. Folding contactless card do not necessarily need to beshielded from unwanted electromagnetic signals and can be uses in anystandard wallet.

IV. Definitions

“Present invention” does not create an absolute indication and/orimplication that the described subject matter is covered by the initialset of claims, as filed, by any as-amended set of claims drafted duringprosecution, and/or by the final set of claims allowed through patentprosecution and included in the issued patent. The term “presentinvention” is used to assist in indicating a portion or multipleportions of the disclosure that might possibly include an advancement ormultiple advancements over the state of the art. This understanding ofthe term “present invention” and the indications and/or implicationsthereof are tentative and provisional and are subject to change duringthe course of patent prosecution as relevant information is developedand as the claims may be amended.

“Embodiment,” see the definition for “present invention.”

“And/or” is the inclusive disjunction, also known as the logicaldisjunction and commonly known as the “inclusive or.” For example, thephrase “A, B, and/or C,” means that at least one of A or B or C is true;and “A, B, and/or C” is only false if each of A and B and C is false.

A “set of” items means there exists one or more items; there must existat least one item, but there can also be two, three, or more items. A“subset of” items means there exists one or more items within a groupingof items that contain a common characteristic.

A “plurality of” items means there exists at more than one item; theremust exist at least two items, but there can also be three, four, ormore items.

“Includes” and any variants (e.g., including, include, etc.) means,unless explicitly noted otherwise, “includes, but is not necessarilylimited to.”

A “user” or a “subscriber” includes, but is not necessarily limited to:(i) a single individual human; (ii) an artificial intelligence entitywith sufficient intelligence to act in the place of a single individualhuman or more than one human; (iii) a business entity for which actionsare being taken by a single individual human or more than one human;and/or (iv) a combination of any one or more related “users” or“subscribers” acting as a single “user” or “subscriber.”

The terms “receive,” “provide,” “send,” “input,” “output,” and “report”should not be taken to indicate or imply, unless otherwise explicitlyspecified: (i) any particular degree of directness with respect to therelationship between an object and a subject; and/or (ii) a presence orabsence of a set of intermediate components, intermediate actions,and/or things interposed between an object and a subject.

A “module” is any set of hardware, firmware, and/or software thatoperatively works to do a function, without regard to whether the moduleis: (i) in a single local proximity; (ii) distributed over a wide area;(iii) in a single proximity within a larger piece of software code; (iv)located within a single piece of software code; (v) located in a singlestorage device, memory, or medium; (vi) mechanically connected; (vii)electrically connected; and/or (viii) connected in data communication. A“sub-module” is a “module” within a “module.”

A “computer” is any device with significant data processing and/ormachine readable instruction reading capabilities including, but notnecessarily limited to: desktop computers; mainframe computers; laptopcomputers; field-programmable gate array (FPGA) based devices; smartphones; personal digital assistants (PDAs); body-mounted or insertedcomputers; embedded device style computers; and/or application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC) based devices.

“Electrically connected” means either indirectly electrically connectedsuch that intervening elements are present or directly electricallyconnected. An “electrical connection” may include, but need not belimited to, elements such as capacitors, inductors, transformers, vacuumtubes, and the like.

“Mechanically connected” means either indirect mechanical connectionsmade through intermediate components or direct mechanical connections.“Mechanically connected” includes rigid mechanical connections as wellas mechanical connection that allows for relative motion between themechanically connected components. “Mechanically connected” includes,but is not limited to: welded connections; solder connections;connections by fasteners (e.g., nails, bolts, screws, nuts,hook-and-loop fasteners, knots, rivets, quick-release connections,latches, and/or magnetic connections); force fit connections; frictionfit connections; connections secured by engagement caused bygravitational forces; pivoting or rotatable connections; and/or slidablemechanical connections.

A “data communication” includes, but is not necessarily limited to, anysort of data communication scheme now known or to be developed in thefuture. “Data communications” include, but are not necessarily limitedto: wireless communication; wired communication; and/or communicationroutes that have wireless and wired portions. A “data communication” isnot necessarily limited to: (i) direct data communication; (ii) indirectdata communication; and/or (iii) data communication where the format,packetization status, medium, encryption status, and/or protocol remainsconstant over the entire course of the data communication.

The phrase “without substantial human intervention” means a process thatoccurs automatically (often by operation of machine logic, such assoftware) with little or no human input. Some examples that involve “nosubstantial human intervention” include: (i) a computer is performingcomplex processing and a human switches the computer to an alternativepower supply due to an outage of grid power so that processing continuesuninterrupted; (ii) a computer is about to perform resource intensiveprocessing and a human confirms that the resource-intensive processingshould indeed be undertaken (in this case, the process of confirmation,considered in isolation, is with substantial human intervention, but theresource intensive processing does not include any substantial humanintervention, notwithstanding the simple yes-no style confirmationrequired to be made by a human); and (iii) using machine logic, acomputer has made a weighty decision (for example, a decision to groundall airplanes in anticipation of bad weather), but, before implementingthe weighty decision the computer must obtain simple yes-no styleconfirmation from a human source.

“Automatically” means “without any human intervention.”

The term “real time” (and the adjective “real-time”) includes any timeframe of sufficiently short duration as to provide reasonable responsetime for information processing as described. Additionally, the term“real time” (and the adjective “real-time”) includes what is commonlytermed “near real time,” generally any time frame of sufficiently shortduration as to provide reasonable response time for on-demandinformation processing as described (e.g., within a portion of a secondor within a few seconds). These terms, while difficult to preciselydefine, are well understood by those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer system for authenticating purchases ofa contactless smart card, the computer system comprising: one or morecomputer processors; one or more computer readable storage device;program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storagedevices for execution by at least one of the one or more computerprocessors, the stored program instructions comprising: programinstructions to determine a baseline electrical resistance of an antennacircuit of the contactless smart card when the contactless smartcard isplanar, the contactless smart card including a plurality of resistorsand a plurality of pre-defined fold locations; program instructions todetermine an authenticating electrical resistance of the antenna circuitfor a folded contactless smart card, the folded contactless smart cardbeing the contactless smart card temporarily folded along at least onepre-defined fold location by a user, the plurality of pre-defined foldlocations enabling a manner for which at least one resistor on thecontactless smart card is not implemented into the antenna circuit;program instructions to record the authenticating electrical resistanceof an antenna circuit on the contactless smart card; programinstructions to determine communication between the contactless smartcard and a receiver utilized to make transactions using the contactlesssmart card; responsive to determining the communication, programinstructions to determine an electrical resistance of the antennacircuit; program instructions to compare the electrical resistance withthe baseline resistance and the authenticating electrical resistance;and responsive to the electrical resistance matching the authenticatingelectrical resistance, program instructions to authorize a transactionwith the receiver; wherein: the contactless smart card contains anohmmeter on the antenna circuit; the electrical resistance of theantenna circuit is measured by the ohmmeter; and the authenticatingelectrical resistance is adjustable according to a location of a fold onthe folded contactless smart card and a count of totals folds on thefolded contactless smart card.